I’d like to welcome Cindy Young-Turner to my blog and had the opportunity to interview her.
What made you want to become a writer?
I’ve always been a reader and I think one day I realized I could write my own stories and have fun doing that. I was about ten when I decided to write my first novel (it’s so bad and I might even still have it) and I’ve been writing ever since. Being a published author is a dream come true.
Are there any writer or writers that have influenced you as a writer?
Lots of them. I think this goes back to my love of reading because often I when I read I’m thinking about the writing and trying to learn from it. I love Ray Bradbury for his style and use of language, Ursula K. Le Guin for the social commentary she weaves into her SF stories, and Neil Gaiman for his dark imagination. There are more but these three came to me off the top of my head.
How do you get the ideas for your stories?
I find inspiration everywhere, from the news to music to just observing life. Since I write fantasy it’s easy to take something and put a twist on it.
What’s the hardest part of being a writer?
Ha ha, that would have to be writing! Getting the first draft down is the hardest part for me, especially with the challenges of a day job and family. Sometimes I do need sleep. Once I have a draft I really enjoy the process of shaping and crafting it into something I’m proud to have written. There’s nothing more intimidating than a blank screen, though.
Are you working on any new projects?
Yes, I’m currently writing Thief of Destiny, which is the sequel to Thief of Hope, my first novel. I have some other ideas rolling around in my head and a lot of half-finished things lying around that I might work on someday, but first I have to get book 2 done.
Thanks Cindy for coming by and I wish you luck on Thief of Hope and you’re sequel, Thief of Destiny.
Thief of Hope, by Cindy Young-Turner
Thief of Hope blurb
Sydney, a street urchin and pickpocket in the town of Last Hope, has managed to evade the oppressive Guild for years, but there is no escaping fate when she’s sentenced to death for associating with the resistance.
After she’s rescued by a wizard, Sydney is forced to accept that magic—long outlawed throughout the Kingdom of Thanumor—still exists, and the Tuatha, a powerful faery folk, are much more than ancient myth and legend. When the wizard offers a chance to fight the Guild and bring Willem, bastard prince and champion of the Tuatha, to the throne, Sydney embraces the cause as a way to find her own redemption.
But Sydney’s fear of the Guild, distrust of authority, and surprising connection to the Tuatha threaten Willem’s success. Can she untangle the strange threads that entwine her life not only to the fate of the kingdom, but also to Willem himself?
Amazon Ratings:
“Thief of Hope is NOT written like a typical debut novel. The world is written perfectly, the scenery is beautiful, the characters are vivid and fresh, and the battle scenes had me holding my breath with anticipation and worry!”—justagirlgeek, 5 stars
“A lot of fantasies sort of gloss over some of the more unpleasant truths, but “Thief of Hope” told it like it really could be, and provided a great adventure in the process.”—K. Sozaeva, 5 stars
Links:
Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
About Cindy Young-Turner
Cindy Young-Turner has always been an avid reader and became fascinated by mythology and Arthurian legends at an early age. She quickly decided she enjoyed creating her own worlds and characters and set to work writing her own stories. She believes genre fiction can be just as well written and valuable as literature. The universal themes of love, hate, revenge, and redemption are present regardless of whether our characters live in the distant future, on other planets, or in fantastical realms.